WASHINGTON — As federal elected officials head into an election season that could determine the party control of both chambers of Congress, both the major national trade associations are heading to Capitol Hill to get credit union issues on the table as incumbents head home for campaigning.
Political pundits have been arguing over how the House and Senate will split and who will control what after November, which has a huge impact on what gets done during a lame duck session and in the two years of the 110th Congress.
Nine states held primaries last Tuesday that could be a foreshadowing of things to come. As of deadline, news sources were reporting that Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-R.I.) had defeated his challenger in the Republican primary there; Chafee had received $5,000 in campaign contributions from CUNA's Credit Union Legislative Action Council, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
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In Maryland, Congressman Ben Cardin (D) was narrowly leading his nearest challenger to replace the retiring Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Paul Sarbanes (D). CULAC had given $5,000 to Cardin, CRP reported, while NAFCU/PAC has contributed $1,000.
Sarbanes' son, John–an attorney, has won the Democratic primary for Cardin's House seat; the Republican primary was still too close to call.
Additionally, credit union friends Congressmen C.A. 'Dutch' Ruppersberger (D) and Chris Van Hollen (D) and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D) won their primaries in Maryland.
Now this week NAFCU is holding its Congressional Caucus, during which about 500 of their members will storm Capitol Hill, visiting just about all the legislators to push credit union issues onto the table, such as getting a regulatory relief bill before recessing. "Congress continues to work to try to get to the pre-election recess," said NAFCU Director of Legislative Affairs Brad Thaler. "Last week, there was some indication from leadership they're going to try to essentially recess the end of September/beginning of October trying to give members much of the month of October at home to campaign but then returning for a lame duck session the week after the elections and then work until they complete their work for the year at that point."
CUNA's Hike the Hills has also become quite popular just before the scheduled adjournment every year, slated for Sept. 29 though a lame duck session is expected. Twenty-one state leagues will be traveling to the Hill this month.
CUNA has also created a "leave behind" to supplement their visits, another flyer in the group's Straight to the Point series, debunking popular banker myths about credit unions. –[email protected]
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